Comfort
by GryffindorCriss
Summary: After the events in the graveyard, Tina needs some comfort. Newt is more than willing to be there for her. (Or: Comfort and Kisses) (Post-CoG)


**So this was prompted by two different people, and I think it's a great idea for a one-shot since Tina is definitely going to be upset/distraught over THAT ending with Queenie.**

 **I'm setting this immediately after the end of Crimes of Grindelwald, maybe a day or so after that scene on the Hogwarts bridge. I haven't written for a while, so it might be a little rough!**

 **SPOILERS AHEAD!**

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It was two in the morning when Tina woke suddenly, feeling the swell of a sob sitting hard in her chest and tears pricking her eyes; it had taken so long for her to fall asleep, and not just because the bed smelt like a certain Magizoologist – her thoughts had been the same as the dream plaguing her.

Across the room, she heard Jacob give a loud snore; he had taken the sofa that Newt had transfigured into a bed without any qualms and fallen asleep almost immediately. A part of her wished she knew what she could say to him, but the words would not come – it felt far too painful, too fresh and raw, to discuss _that_ just yet. A lump rose in her throat at the thought.

Sitting up, Tina glanced over at where Newt's case had been tucked into the corner of the room; the Maledictus girl – Nagini, Tina had learnt – had wanted to sleep in the shed in the case because it was more private. She had looked so terrified as she admitted that she _had_ to sleep in her other form, that she had no choice, and it reminded Tina of how scared Credence had once been; just as she had for Credence, she found herself suddenly caring for the young frightened woman and wanting to help her. A part of her wanted to check up on Nagini, make sure she was okay, but she had agreed that she wouldn't go into the shed – the girl had begged her not to, seemingly ashamed of her condition – and she wouldn't break that promise.

Her eyes wandered over the flat, taking in everything; it was modest, sparsely decorated even, and she already knew Newt probably didn't spend as much time up here as he did in his case or down in his basement with the creatures. The thought made her smile half-heartedly despite herself: there was something about him and his passion for his magical creatures that made him endearing. His love for his work was something she could understand for she had that same love for her job too – perhaps they weren't that different after all.

Curiously, she eyed the door down to his basement; Newt had chosen to sleep downstairs with his creatures, insisting that he didn't mind at all – he wanted to check on certain beasts anyway, to make sure they were safe after his absence. She wondered if he was still awake and tending to any creatures – judging by the muffled noises she could hear through the closed door, it certainly seemed like it.

 _He probably doesn't want to be bothered_ , she thought to herself half-heartedly; _I should leave him to it._

But the truth was that she couldn't sleep – not after everything that had happened. She felt as though she was in shock, that it was a nightmare she couldn't wake up from no matter how hard she tried, and she hated feeling so helpless. In the past, if she'd had such a dream, she could have gone to her sister for comfort – the thought made her heart ache even more.

On top of that, she couldn't help but worry over how Newt was doing – he had lost a friend, someone he cared deeply about. After months of resentment and misery over Leta Lestrange, over what she had thought to be true, Tina couldn't help but feel saddened too; she'd barely even known the woman, but she had been different than expected – she had been _kind_ but troubled, deeply misunderstood even. There was no doubt that Newt would be taking her loss harder than expected.

It was this thought that made Tina climb out of bed and make her way over across the room as quietly as possible; Jacob slept on, completely oblivious, as she pushed the door open and made her way downstairs.

To her surprise, Newt's basement was far larger than expected; as she made her way down the steps, she couldn't help but gaze around in slight awe at everything. She was pleased to know that she could name a number of the creatures she saw, having read Newt's book several times over the last few months; an Augery peered down at her mournfully when she passed his perch before taking off and landing somewhere at the bottom of the stairs.

It didn't take long for her to find Newt; he was sitting by the edge of what looked like a pool, gently rubbing some kind of ointment onto a large green sea creature. The sight made her smile to herself, despite how miserable she felt – only Newt would feel completely comfortable and relaxed whilst so close to a beast at least thrice his size, she thought bemusedly.

"You can't sleep either then?" She asked quietly.

Newt jerked in surprise, hurriedly looking her way; at the sight of her, he quickly stood up and tucked the ointment he'd been using away. "Tina, I… No. No, not really. It's been…"

"Yeah," Tina agreed softly, understanding completely. "Hasn't it just?"

"Is everything alright upstairs?" He asked. "Is the bed not comfortable?"

"No, it is," She informed him, trying not to let her cheeks go pink at the memory of how much the sheets had smelled of him – and how much she _liked_ it. "It's very comfortable, I just…there's too much on my mind to sleep."

Newt gave a nod in understanding, moving closer to her. "Yes. Well, perhaps you might like a cup of tea? I always find that that helps if I can't sleep."

They hadn't spoken as he quickly made two mugs of tea with his wand, an uncomfortable silence growing between them. He conjured two chairs for them to sit on before sending one of the mugs her way. She accepted it gratefully, immediately looking down at her drink; she preferred coffee, always had, but tea would do for now.

Newt was slightly awkward as he sat down opposite her, gripping his mug. "I'm afraid I'm not very good at making tea," He said, trying to break the tension between them. "My brother actually does better when it comes to that sort of thing, though I'd say I'm a rather decent cook-"

"I keep thinking about Queenie," Tina whispered suddenly, and he fell silent. "I keep on seeing her face, Newt, that moment when she screamed at Jacob to go with her. She didn't even so much as look at me or anything – she just crossed into the circle and disappeared."

He swallowed. "I…I know."

"It was bad enough that _Credence_ …" Her voice broke, and she closed her eyes tightly. "I was trying to keep him safe, trying to help him, but I failed – he's gone to Grindelwald, and I just _know_ that he'll use Credence for his own cause, his beliefs. And then Queenie went with him too – I was supposed to look after her, Newt, to take care of her after our Ma and Pa died. I got so caught up with helping Credence that I didn't realize she…" Her eyes were filled with tears. "She needed me, and I wasn't there for her."

"Tina, you can't blame yourself," Newt said quietly, putting his mug down and leaning forwards in his seat. "The only reason Credence went with him was because he thought Grindelwald could tell him who he was – he's just lost and confused, wanting to know who he is. And Queenie…" He hesitated. "I don't quite know what to say, but I do know it was not your fault."

She didn't protest when he gently eased the mug from her grip, her hands immediately covering her face. "She's so young, Newt, and I didn't do anything to help her; I left her on her own in New York, I thought she would be okay, I…" A small sob escaped her. "I told her not to see Jacob anymore, told her it was against the law – I only wanted to keep her _safe_ , didn't want her in jail, but instead I drove her away."

"No, Tina," He disagreed softly, and he cautiously placed his hands on her shoulders – he hoped she wouldn't mind too much. "Everything Queenie did was _her_ decision, and hers only; bringing Jacob here under an enchantment, disappearing to Paris, joining _him_ … No one is to blame for that. She made her choice all on her own – and you saw what Grindelwald was like at his rally: persuasive, _seductive_ even. There was nothing you could do, Tina, not once she had already made her mind up."

Suddenly she was leaning into him, and he found himself wrapping his arms around her without thinking. "I'm so scared for her, Newt," Tina whispered into his shoulder. "She could get hurt or...or _killed_ , whether by him or by one of our side – they'll hunt her down once they know she's joined his side. She's…" He felt her tears starting to soak through his shirt as he body trembled slightly. "She's the only family I have left – and she's gone. I have no one else."

"That's not entirely true," Newt assured her softly. "You have me…and Jacob," He added quickly. "I know it's not quite the same, but we're your friends and we care for you. I know things have been a little misunderstood lately, what with that stupid bloody magazine, but I can honestly say that I…I care about you."

"Yeah?" She sniffed, pulling back to look at him; she gave him a slightly watery smile. "I care about you too."

He grinned awkwardly, not quite sure what he was supposed to do – Jacob wasn't here to advise him, and he didn't want to ruin things. He briefly debated kissing her, making certain that she knew just how much he cared for her, but perhaps that would be too forward? Would it be better to wait and see?

"Tina, I-"

And suddenly she was leaning forwards, pressing her mouth to his and kissing him; surprised, it took him a moment to realize what was happening – and then he closed his eyes, relaxing and giving himself over completely. It was only small, a peck really, but it sent a pleasant fire coursing through him, heart thumping hard in his chest.

When she pulled away, Tina was pink-cheeked and flustered. "I'm sorry," She murmured, somewhat dazed. "I just…I've wanted to do that since we were in the records room."

"Oh?" Newt gave a small breathless chuckle. "I've been wanting to do that since we said goodbye in New York."

She laughed at this, relief and joy suddenly washing over her as he grinned shyly; this wasn't exactly how either of them had planned a romantic reunion – far from it – but somehow neither of them could find it within themselves to complain.

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 **So this was a little bit rough but I enjoyed writing it – and I wasn't expecting to write a kiss in but…hey, the muse does what it wants ;)**

 **Follow me on tumblr - newt-loves-tina (my account is currently down at the moment because tumblr is silly but hopefully it will be back up soon!)**

 **Reviews greatly appreciated!**


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